The Free Throw:
To say Jason Kidd is a unique basketball player would be an understatement. Over the course of his 12-year NBA career, Kidd has amassed numbers only a few could match. He currently ranks 8th on the NBA’s all-time assists list and has tallied 68 career triple-doubles, more than 21 NBA teams have in their franchise history.

To watch Kidd on the court, the first thing fans would notice is his uncanny ability to control a game. The second would be his unique free throw routine.

Kidd has been blowing a kiss to his wife Joumana prior to shooting free throws for so long he can’t remember when he started it. When pressed, the seven-time All-Star thought it began in Phoenix but couldn’t be sure. “I started doing it and making some free throws so I continued to do it,” said Kidd. “I do it not just because of habit but to let my wife know I’m thinking about her.”

The Ritual:
Kidd began the 2004-05 season on the injured list recovering from offseason knee surgery. During his rehabilitation process, Kidd practiced shooting free throws without blowing a kiss to his wife. Once he returned to game action, he continued to leave it out of his routine until he noticed the charity stripe wasn’t being so charitable. “I wasn’t shooting free throw particular well (when he initial returned) so we made sure we went back to doing everything we did in the past.” Aside from letting his wife know she is on his mind, the kiss allows Kidd to focus on the task at hand because shooting free throws is as much mental as it is physical.